Ladder



L. POWELL.

LADDER.y

APPLlcATxoN FILED Aus. 13, 1919.

1,340,627; Patented May 1s, 1920.

LETITIA POWELL, OF CARUTHERSVILLE, MISSOURI.

LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1.8, 1920.

Application filed August 13, 1919. Serial No. 317,222.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LETITIA POWELL, ua citizen of the .United States,residing at Caruthersville, in the county of Pemiscot and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to ladders and more particularly to a iieXibleladder designed for use as a fire escape.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a ladder of theabove type which is non-inflammable and which can be lowered from theupper window of a hoteloi' other building and suspended in positionadjacent the lower windows in line with the upper window so that a largenumber of persons may quickly escape from the burning structure.

It is another object of the invention to provide a ladder having`foldable side members or rails and ladder rounds each consisting of aniron rod connected at its ends to said side members and having anasbestos covering or sheath.

The invention has for a further general object to provide a device ofthe character described which is simply and durably constructed,reliable and serviceable in use and can be manufactured at relativelysmall cost.

lith the above land other objects in view, the invention consists in theimproved combination, construction, and relative arrangement of theseveral parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, subsequentlyclaimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which similarreference characters designate the corresponding parts throughout theseveral views, and wherein Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating oneembodiment of my improved ladder show'- ing the same suspended inoperative position from the window of a building.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a slightly modified form ofthe invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing and more particularly to Figs. 1 and2 thereof, 5 designates the flexible side members or rails of the laddereach of which consists of a plurality of sections formed of amultiplicity of twisted rope strands indicated at 6. The rope strands atone of their ends are wired or otherwise securely fixed to the hooks 7,while to the other ends of the rope sections of the ladder, the swivelrings or eyes 8 are suitably secured. The rope strands 6 are entirelycovered with asbestos indicated at 9, or some other suitable heatresisting material whereby the rope sections of the ladder are renderednon-inflammable.

The hooks 7 are adapted for engagement through the swivel eyes or rings8 whereby the series of flexible ladder ring sections are connected, andthe hooks are then closed by means ofpliers or other suitable tool.These hooks are, however, sufficiently large to permit the reduced ends10 of the ladder rounds 11 being inserted therethrough. These ladderrounds are in the form of metal rods or bars and the reduced ends arethreaded to receive the nuts 12 whereby -the ladder rounds are retainedin connection with the hooks 7. Each of the metal rounds is entirelycovered or sheathed in asbestos as shown at 12 so that these ladderrounds will not become so highly heated that they cannot be grasped withthe hand.

The hooks 7 at one end of the ladder are adapted to be engaged througheyes or staples 13 suitably fixed in the sill or sleeper 13a of awindow. When not in use, the ladder may be very compactly folded andstored in a boX or other suitable receptacle within the room adjacentthe window. In the event of ire the ladder can be very quickly removedfrom the boX and lowered from the window so that it will hang in apendant position adjacent to the other windows below. Thus the occupantsof the rooms on the different floors of the building can readily descendthe ladder and thus escape from the burning structure. As the sidemembers of the ladder as well as the rounds thereof are entirely coveredand protected by the asbestos sheathing, they will not be burned anddestroyed by flames issuing from the windows of the structure.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing I have illustrated a slightly modified form ofthe device wherein each of the side members of the ladder consist in aplurality of metal bars 14 terminating at one of their ends in the eyes15 and at their other ends in the hooks 16.

The hooks and eyes of the adjacent bars 14 are loosely engaged orconnected as in the preferred embodiment of the invention so that themetal bars 14 can be readily folded upon each other. The asbestoscovered ladder rounds 17 have their threaded terminals engaged throughopenings provided centrally in the corresponding side members 14, andthe nuts indicated at 18 are adjusted and tightly engaged against theouter sides of the bars 14. This form of the invention is heavier andmore durable than that form of the ladder having the side members orrails constructed of rope, though it cannot be as easily handled, owingto the increase in weight. It will, however, effectively serve theintended purpose. In the use of this modified form of the invention, theperson descending the ladder may grasp the asbes tos covered rounds 17,if the side bars 14 which are disposed adjacent the window opening havebecome highly heated. y

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, the construction and manner of use and the several advantagesof my invention will be fully and clearly understood. The improvedladder is well adapted for the intended purpose and owing to its verysimple construction, the ladders can be manufactured and large hotels orother buildings equipped therewith at nominal cost. The rope sections ofthe ladder can be of any desired thickness so as to afford the requisiteresistance to tensional strains.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred construction andarrangement of the several elements employed, it is to be understoodthat the device is susceptible of considerable .modification and Itherefore reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changesas may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the inventionas claimed. A

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a ladder, thecombination with a pair of parallel ladder side rails, comprising aplurality of heat non-conducting side rail sections, certain of the endsof the said sections having swivel eyes, the opposite ends of said railsections having hooks adapted to engage said'swivel eyes, said hooksbeing bent to form loops after having engaged in said eyes, of heatnon-conducting ladder rungs provided `with reduced ends engaging saidloops, and means threaded on said reduced ends to hold said rungs inplace, and also to hold said ladder rails parallel and equally spaced.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in the presence oftivo Witnesses. LETITIA POYVELL. lVitnesses Mrs. B. M. THOMPSON, Oem L.CRIGE.

